A Dream of Parenthood: Our IVF Journey

Hi, I’m Kelly, and I’ve created this page with hope in my heart and a deeply personal request for you.

Our Journey So Far

Our path to parenthood has been longer and harder than we ever imagined - nearly ten years of trying, hoping, and grieving. Over that time, we’ve had four missed miscarriages, each one a devastating loss that left us questioning whether we’d ever hold our own child.

Then, in September, we faced our greatest heartbreak. Our daughter Ava had to be induced early at 22 weeks pregnant to save my life due to a serious infection - a completely unrelated, freak medical issue. We lost her shortly after. That loss shattered us in ways we didn’t think possible, but it also strengthened our resolve to keep fighting for the family we still dream of.

Why IVF Is So Difficult for Us

I have a very rare chromosomal condition: I have two cell lines, each with a different chromosome translocation. Experts estimate I might be 1 in 100,000, but it’s so rare that it’s described as “case report rare” - meaning there’s very little data and very few people like me.

This makes our risk of miscarriage incredibly high. To try to overcome this, we’re using IVF with PGT-SR (preimplantation genetic testing for structural rearrangements) to screen embryos and find one that doesn’t carry either of my translocations. Unfortunately, after multiple rounds of IVF, we still haven’t had a suitable embryo to transfer.

Why We Need Help

We’re not ready to give up on our dream of becoming parents. We’re not willing to have gone through so much loss and heartache and come out empty-handed. We are still fighting, but the financial cost is impossible for us to carry alone.

IVF with genetic testing is extremely expensive, and we’re desperate to avoid going into debt to try again. We’ve cut back wherever possible, sold what we could, and still, the gap is too large. That’s why we’re turning to our community.

How You Can Help

If you’re able to:

you’d be helping us keep our dream alive. Every contribution takes us closer to bringing a baby home.

Thank You

Thank you so much for reading this, and for any support you can give. Whether it’s a small donation, a purchase, or simply passing this on, it means more than we can say.

If, by any chance, we raise more than we need or don’t end up using the funds for our own treatment, every remaining donation will be given to charities that have supported us on this journey. Your generosity will continue to help others walking a similar path.

With love and gratitude,

Kelly & Pete